Apparatus for delivering and stacking blocks of sheets and the like



June 14, 1960 A. M. REED APPARATUS FOR DELIVERING AND smcxmc BLOCKS 0F SHEETS AND THE LIKE Filed March 20, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR ARTHUR MATH ER REED 4W ATTO R N EYS June 14, 1960 A. M. REED 2,940,616

APPARATUS FOR DELIVERING AND STACKING BLOCKS OF SHEETS AND THE LIKE Filed March 20, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR ARTHUR MATHER REED BY mm ATTORNEYS III/III! United States Patent APPARATUS FOR DELIVERING AND STACKING BLOCKS OF SHEETS AND THE LIKE Arthur Mather Reed, Glens Falls, N.Y., assignor, by

mesne assignments, to Charles R. Stevens, Inc., Maumee, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Filed Mar. 20, 1957, Ser. No. 647,441

Claims. (C1. 214-6) This invention relates to apparatus for delivering articles successively to a stack of such articles. It was conceived and perfected as a solution to problems encountered in delivery and stacking of successive blocks of paper sheets from a table on which they are located after a trimming operation or the like, and will be described for convenience primarily in relation to such problems.

An object and feature of the invention has been to move the blocks of sheets successively from the trimming press table or equivalent support to a location where they are stacked with optimum convenience and rapidity.

A further object and feature has been to conduct these operations without the necessity of any lifting operation by the operators, in producing a progressively taller stack.

-A further object and feature has been to accomplish these results in such a manner as to minimize the time interval between deposit of successive blocks of sheets upon the stack, and thus to improve productivity.

A further object and feature has been to provide a method and apparatus of this kind in which the bottommost sheet may be removed from the block of sheets as they are being delivered.

In the attainment of these objects, the blocks of sheets are slid successively from the stationary table associated with the trimming press across a bridging table to the pallet or stack. This bridging table is mounted for elevation relative to the stationary table as by hinging, and carries a retractable lip at the end opposite its pivotal connection with the stationary table. A stack support underlies the extended position of this lip, and the lip rests upon this support or paper supported thereby', when the lip is in its extended position. A block of sheets is slid over the bridging table and lip onto this support, and into position in which its rear end overlies the lip. The lip is then retracted and the bridging table elevated about its pivotal connection with the stationaly table, while the stack support is adjusted downwardly until the upper surface of the stack is again substantially in the horizontal plane of the stationary table. The lip is then again extended and the bridging table lowered to position in which the lip rests upon the top of the stack, and the sequence of operations is repeated in feeding succeeding blocks of sheets to the stack.

The lip is provided with passages to produce a forwardly projected jet or jets of air to provide an air cushion between the top of the stack or support and the blocks of sheets which are slid thereover, and the bridging connection includes a transversely extending slot through which the lowermost sheet may be withdrawn from the bottom of the block in transit.

Further features and advantages of the invention, and the manner in which all of these advantages are attained, will be evident from reading of the following detailed description in the light of the attached drawings, in which,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the apparatus of the invention in its association with a trimming press designed to operate upon blocks of paper,

Figure 2 is a plan view of the apparatus of Figure 1,

2,940,616 Patented June 14, 1960 Figure 3 is a detailed side elevation illustrating the bridging connection between the stationary table and stack support,

Figure 4 is a plan view of the nearest side portion of the apparatus illustrated in Figure 3, and

Figure 5 is an enlarged cross-section on the line 5-5 of Figure 2.

As illustrated in Figures 1 and 2, the trimming press assembly includes the press 10 having a cutter 11 and bed 12, and on table 13 from which the blocks of sheets are slid into position for trimming by the press, and an o table 14 which receives the blocks after they are slid from the press along bed extension 15 into contact with end block 16 to align and position the same. The present invention is concerned with the stationary table 14 and with the feed of blocks of sheets forwardly from that table into their stacked relationship.

A vertically adjustable support 17, such as the familiar levelator, is mounted with its piston rod or equivalent actuating member extending into a well 18 in longitudinally spaced relationship to the forward end 19 of table 14, and a pallet or skid 22 is placed on this support in position to receive the successive blocks of sheets in forming the stack. A bridging table 23 is pivotally secured through outboard hinges 24 to the forward end 19 of table 14, in position to leave a transverse slot 25 between the two tables.

A lip member 26 is retractably' secured to the forward end of the bridging table as by a piano hinge 27, and the wedge-shaped forward end of this lip is adapted to rest upon the rear edge of the pallet or the stack of sheets supported thereby when the bridging table and lip are in horizontal positions and the supporting surface 17 adjusted to the desired height. A fluid pressure motor 32, which is pivotally secured to a stationary block 28 at its lower end, supports bridging table 23 through its piston rod 29, and a second fluid pressure motor 33 is secured to the under side of table 23 and operates through its piston rod 34 and link 35 to move the lip between the retracted position illustrated in broken lines and the extended or projected position illustrated in full lines in Figure 3, and in Figures 1, 2, 4 and 5.

The motors 32 and 33 are preferably operated by air and are controlled by a conventional, four-way, valve 36 by treadle members 37 and 38, which operate to direct air under pressure through line 39 to elevate the piston in motor 32 and the table 23 while pennitting discharge of air through line 42 to permit lip 26 to retract (Figure 3, broken line position), or vice versa (Figure 3, full line position), depending upon which pedal is depressed. As is conventional in four-way valves, the pressure supply line 43 is interconnected with one or the other of lines 39 and 42, while the line not so connected is connected with the discharge outlet of valve 36. The operation of motors 32 and 33 is therefore simultaneous but opposite, one being exhausted while air pressure is applied to the other.

In operation, the support provided by the levelator 17 and pallet 22 is moved upwardly until it is substantially on the same level with the top of stationary table 14, and valve 36 is actuated to apply pressure to motor 33 while releasing it from motor 32, thus extending lip 26 and lowering table 23 at its forward end until lip 26 rests upon the top of the pallet (full-line position of Figure 3). The first block of sheets is then slid from table 14 across bridging table 23 and lip 26 and onto the pallet. Valve 36 is then actuated to release lip 26 and raise table 23, thereby effecting withdrawal of the lip from beneath the rear edge of the deposited sheets. The levelator is now actuated to lower the top of the deposited block of sheets to the level of the top of table 14 and the sequence of operations is repeated until a stack of the desired height has been formed.

" time mam-13 at the blocks of sheets, the termin most such sheet is frequently damaged, and this sheet is removed, incident to pushing the block of sheets across the bridging cpnnection, by manipulating its forward end "'tromlbenea'thand directing 'it downwardly through slot ZS-a'sdllhstrted at 44 in Fi ures 1 and 2, during" the forward advance of the overlying sheets over tables Iqand The lip 26 is provided with air passages 5 and 46 for connection with a 'source of compressed air and therefore produces a wide jet or plurality of jets of air projected forwardly over the surfaces on which the successive blocks ot sheets are deposited. This provides an air cushion which minimizes effort and avoids damage incident to the stacking, and also facilitates withdrawal of lip 26 from beneath the stack. V i V 7 While the invention has been described specifically only in'relationto a single embodiment, persons skilled-in the various ways Without departing from its inventive concepts, and I therefore wish'it tobe understood that this "invention is-not to' be; limited in interpretation except by the'scope of the following claims V .I cla m 7 1-. I nan apparatus forremoving fragile non-rigid articles froma stationary tableand depositing them upon a stack separated from said table, the combination comt o an edge or said stationary table, a lip retractably secured to the free end of said bridging table opposite its pivotal securernent to said stationary table and coextensive with thetwidth of said bridging'table, vertically adart will recognize that it maybe modified and refined in i prising a-rigid bridging table pivotally secured'at one end H v justable means for-supporting said stack with its upper c edge directly beneath said lip, means for moving said bridging table pivotally" between a position at which it vforms a horizontalbridgingl connection between said table i ains- 7 said stack and a higher position, air jet producing 'nection betweensaid stationary table and said'stack for the withdrawal downwardly of the bottornmost' sheet from a block of sheets being delivered across said bridging connection. 3 f

'3. An apparatus as defined in claini 2, in which said slot is provided by'spacing said pivoted bridging table slightly from said stationary table at the line of pivotal interconnection therebetween. 4.'An apparatus as. defined in: claim 3, in which the pivotal interconnection between said bridging table. and said'stationary table is provided by hinges lying outboard with respect to the-width of sheets to be processed, whereby a free space is provided at the hinge connection inboard of said hinges for said withdrawal of the bottommost sheet.

5. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, characterized further by means operative to simultaneously extend said lip and lower said bridging table. i e V 'ReferencesCited in the :fileof'this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,554,320 r Battey May 22, 1951 2,639,049 Kinzelmanet a1. May 19, 1953 2,714,735 Watson- V V Aug. 9, 1955 2,730,247 Lawson," Jan. 10,1956 2,830,713,

Fredriks'son Apr. 15; 1958 

